The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission may have started investigation into
the allegation of diversion of local government funds levelled against the
administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State.
The
EFCC’s Zonal Head, Ibadan, Akaninyene Ezima, said this in a letter of
invitation sent to the Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun
State.
According
to the EFCC’s letter of invitation made available to a Punch correspondent in
Osogbo on Sunday by the Chairman of CSCEOS, Mr. Sulaiman Adeniyi, the
anti-corruption agency invited the group to come and clarify some areas in the
petition against the governor.
The
EFCC’s letter, dated May 13, 2016, with reference No: CR:
3000/EFCC/IB/T.B/VOL.1/79 was titled, “Investigation Activities:
Acknowledgement/Invitation letter.”
The
invitation letter read, “This is to
acknowledge the receipt of your petition dated
April 4, 2016, captioned Report of Illegal Diversion of 30 Local
Governments’ monthly allocations by the Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Adesoji
Aregbesola.
“Why
Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State is calling for
investigation and stoppage of Releasing of Local Government monthly allocations
to Osun State through Mr. Rauf
Aregbesola and to inform you that investigation has commenced.
“In
view of the above, you are hereby requested to report to the EFCC Zonal Office
at No.16 Revd. Oyebode Crescent, Iyaganku, G.R.A., Ibadan, for an interview
with the undersigned through the Head, Team B, on May 17, 2016, at 10am
prompt.”
The
governor and some of his aides were
accused of diverting LG allocations by the human rights group in a petition to
President Muhammadu Buhari.
The
group had claimed that the governor suspended democratic structure in the
councils and had mismanaged funds allocated to them.
The
CSCEOS’s petition read in part, “To affirm this illegality and
unconstitutionality, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola suspended the democratic system in the
constitutionally recognised 30 Local
Government Areas of Osun State by appointing the grade level 14 local
government staff as ‘council managers’ to man the council areas of the state
instead of ‘democratically-elected chairmen
and councilors’ as stipulated in Section 7(1) of the amended 1999
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in order to give Aregbesola a
leeway in the criminal diversion of local government funds.
“That
the Federal Government, the National Assembly and its anti-graft agencies
should investigate the acclaimed road projects embarked upon by Mr. Rauf
Adesoji Aregbesola on behalf of the local government areas of the state without
following the due process of the Public Procurement Act.
“The
violation of all due process in managing the public finances of Osun State by
Mr. Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola has been seriously impacting negatively on the
lives of the state masses including the state
and local government local
workers with their retirees alike.”
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